Tiger Lilies
by Cotton Candy Mareep
Summary: Will compares each of the young ladies of Sunshine Islands to various flowers, and reflects for a moment on his favorite flower of all. [Day 9: Flowers]


**A/N: I was much busier than I had originally expected to be today, so here's just a really last-minute drabble thing for the "Flowers" prompt from me. Enjoy! -CCM**

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 _Tiger Lilies_

William Regison, golden nephew of the mining magnate Regis, was often talked about as the wealthiest young man in all the islands of the Sunshine Archipelago. He had everything a person could ever want in life, they said; a privileged upbringing (complete with mansions and his own private yacht), more money than he could ever care to spend, and strikingly good looks on top of it all. A perfectly polite gentleman, his regal posture and noble way of speaking, paired with gorgeous white-blond hair and blue eyes as deep as the sea itself, sent many young women pining for him.

However, to the surprise of many, it seemed, Will had never been interested in money and the false appearances that often accompanied such greed and material desire for more. In fact, the single most important reason he came to the Sunshine Islands to visit his uncle Regis and cousin Sabrina was to avoid those who only pretended to care about him, abusing his kindness simply to get closer to his wealth and status for selfish means; he wanted to find people who enjoyed his company because they truly liked him as a person, regardless of what he did or didn't have, as well as to appreciate all the beauty and intrigue that the islands themselves had to offer.

As such, nobody expected the wealthy and handsome young man to harbor any interest in such mundane, common things as the flowers that grew in abundance all across the islands and the lands overseas. But in his eyes, no priceless glittering jewels or rare treasures of gold and silver could ever hope to compare to the exquisite natural beauty of something so simple as a lovely flower in full bloom.

The more Will thought about the different types of beautiful flowers he secretly adored, he noticed that they could easily be compared to the beauty of the young ladies he had met on the Sunshine Islands.

Sabrina, his own sweet cousin, was reminiscent of the small and delicate pale pink sweet pea flower, with her quiet and gentle nature. She was a girl who enjoyed the simple pleasures in life, like painting and books, just as he did.

Julia, the lovely blonde with a model-like figure who worked at the animal shop owned by her mother on Verdure Island, was more of a daisy type of girl; amiable toward friends and newcomers alike, she had a fond patience with animals and was perfectly content with her honest life on the islands, reminding him of the pretty yet simple little daisies that dotted the meadows.

Lanna, the ex-musical idol who still harbored the singing voice of a dove, most resembled the big and bright sunflower, epitomized in her constant cheerful optimism and forward-thinking, not to mention her long golden-blonde locks, that reflected her past days as a popstar.

Bold and somewhat bossy, Natalie reminded Will of the dignified deep-purple violets, as she gave him the sense that she wasn't quite so harsh on the inside as she was out; and Alisa, young priestess of the Harvest Goddess, was pure and faithful as the iris.

Chelsea, the ever-talkative, friendly and hardworking farmer on the islands, reminded Will of the lovely pale blossoms that grew on apple trees. Any time he noticed the apple blossoms in bloom, the young gentleman recalled how he had observed Chelsea toiling hard in the dirt of her own fields for years to plant and grow her own apple trees that now made up an entire orchard at her farm on Ranch Island.

And finally, Lily... the adventurer and treasure-seeker on the islands was easily related to the gorgeous tiger lily, her namesake. Brave and exotically beautiful, the raven-haired maiden was as proud and bold as the vivid orange hues of the flower she most resembled, evoking an inexplicable sense of awe in Will every time he laid eyes on her. She was easily the most striking, interesting girl he had ever known, despite their vastly differing backgrounds and goals, and he wished for nothing more than to get to know her better.

Lily was elegant, mysterious... and seemingly unfazed by the usual flowery words and compliments that had countless other women practically falling at his feet in the past. Unlike the others, she had never fallen for his flattery, but remained coolly interested in him all the same, and it fascinated him. Will knew that some might say she only had interest in his wealth, but he knew that to be untrue; Lily was a woman of honor, one who preferred to take action on her own terms and earn her own riches through hard work and determination. She was courageous, almost to a fault, unafraid of putting herself in danger during her treasure hunts, but never doing anything stupid or downright reckless. And she was uniquely modest, going so far as to refuse any gifts he offered to her unless he outright insisted on her taking them.

In fact, he had never met anyone that intrigued him so much as her.

Will had always known that some strange feeling deep within had drawn him to the Sunshine Archipelago on his travels. Since docking his yacht at the islands for the first time, he sought to find out just what the missing piece was in his journey across the seas, something that tugged right at his heart... And somehow, he knew he could find it there, of all places.

Perhaps in time, that very piece might just turn out to be the woman who shared the name of his new favorite flower, the tiger lily.


End file.
